By Pearl Gumapos
The Department of Health (DOH) on Wednesday (Feb. 2) said that it won’t allow the country to be delayed or to place last in vaccine manufacturing.
“Hindi tayo magpapahuli dahil iyong mga standards na gagamitin natin dito sa ating mga pag-produce ng vaccines would be international standards as well,” DOH Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said during the Laging Handa public briefing.
“Kung anong ginagawa sa ibang bansa ay magagawa rin natin dito based on international standards, based on research to be done,” she said.
Meanwhile, Vergeire also said that once the Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines (VIP) is up and running, it will complement the DOH in disease prevention, control, and surveillance.
“Ang VIP, sila ay mag-fo-focus talaga sa pag-aaral ng mga viruses, sa pag-aaral na makagawa tayo ng bakuna. At the same time, ang DOH naman po, dito sa ating mandato, will be complementing because we will be the ones to affect kung ano po iyong kanilang pag-aaralan. Ating po isasa-polisiya at ipapatupad sa ating mga LGUs,” Vergeire said.
“In terms of vaccines, we will be completely supporting this VIP together with our attached agency, the Food and Drug Administration,” she added. -rir
